UK Warns of 50% Surge in Major Cyberattacks on Businesses
The UK government has warned business leaders about a sharp rise in major cyberattacks. According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), “highly significant” cyber incidents have increased by 50% in the past year.
NCSC reported 429 cyber incidents between 2024 and 2025. Of these, 18 were classified as highly significant, meaning they targeted key sectors such as government, transport, retail, and manufacturing.
Recent victims include Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). JLR reportedly lost nearly £50 million per week during a multi-week outage caused by an attack earlier this year.
Officials warned that many companies still underestimate the risk. They urged FTSE 350 firms to treat cybersecurity as a boardroom priority, not just an IT issue.
Richard Horne, chief executive of NCSC, said businesses must act before a crisis strikes.
“If your systems were crippled tomorrow, could you still run your operations or pay your staff? If not, it’s time to act.”
The government says the rise in attacks highlights growing risks from ransomware groups and foreign-backed hackers. These threats often spread across supply chains, affecting small vendors and large corporations alike.
The NCSC is now working with industry partners to improve cyber resilience and response times. It also plans to launch new awareness programs for companies that lack in-house cybersecurity teams.
